In Defense
by DesertOrchid7485
Summary: Mr. Schue stops Karofsky from pounding on Kurt. So, now Karofsky assumes that Will is gay as well and jumps him after school. *Horrible summary, I apologize, but I hope you like the fic anyways...* Will whump within
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **In Defense

**Summary: **Mr. Schue stops Karofsky from pounding on Kurt. So, now Karofsky assumes that Will is gay as well and jumps him after school.

**Rating:**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing of Glee or its characters.

**Warning: **This fic contains offensive words against gay-people as well as gay-hating.. I DO NOT HATE GAY PEOPLE! But! Karofsky was made out to and so in order to get his character right, I had to put it in the fic.. I cringe with every sentence that comes out of his mouth and I apologize profusely but it has to be done for the characterization.

**Author's Note: **I didn't like the way NO ONE helped Kurt until it was almost too late. So, I wrote a fic, correcting that flaw. And since it contains Will whump – all the better! ;)

* * *

He walks around the corner in time to see David Karofsky raise his fist, preparing to punch Kurt. Without thinking about it, Will jumped and grabbed Karofsky's arm, pulling it down and thus spinning the massive footballer on the spot. Whether it was instinct, momentum, or something else entirely, Will didn't know; all he did know was that ten seconds later there was extreme heat coming from the right side of his face, he couldn't open his eye for the pain, and he was half sitting, half lying on the floor.

It took him all of five seconds to figure out that he'd been punched by the gigantuan football player, and it took another five seconds for him to get up and make sure that the kid wasn't going to try it on Kurt next – even if he couldn't really see out of his right eye.

The moment he stepped in front of Kurt, all of the Glee Club members joined in, forming a barrier between Kurt and Karofsky. Puck and Finn stepped forward most, challenging Karofsky to try anything.

"Mr. Karofsky, Principal's office, now," Will ground out, slightly panting from adrenaline. He stepped out of the crowd and grabbed the footballer's arm, hauling him to the principal's office because he didn't trust the kid to do it on his own. He was going to make sure this kid didn't step foot in this school again even if it cost him his job to do it.

**oOo**

Kurt sat in the choir room, panting and trying not to throw up. The adrenaline that coursed through his veins was now emptying into his stomach, threatening to overthrow everything he'd eaten in the morning. He couldn't stop shaking; literally, he tried but it just didn't stop. He didn't want to be in the choir room but everyone else had insisted on it and so here he sat, waiting for Mr. Schue to get back from the principal's office.

Mr. Schue. Now there was a surprise. Kurt had never expected the glee teacher to jump in for him like that. He'd always thought the man was just like every other faculty member who said he'd do something about it, but never actually did. He certainly hadn't expected the teacher to get punched for him.

And speaking of getting punched, Kurt wondered how Mr. Schue was feeling. Kurt has been punched before, maybe not by someone as huge and as angry as Karofsky, but still. It's not fun and it leaves you with a headache for the rest of the day, and you can forget smiling – it hurts like a bitch for a couple of days to do that. Although, given how much Mr. Schue smiles, it might be semi-entertaining to watch him be constantly reminded of the bruise.

"Mr. Schue?" Rachel asked, being the first to notice the teacher's presence.

The man himself stood in the doorway, black eye sticking out stark against his skin in the afternoon light and looking enraged. Like Kurt, he was shaking where he stood, but Kurt doubted it was from nerves.

"Karofsky's suspended," Mr. Schue began and they all held their breath for him to continue. Kurt thought he knew what was coming, but he hoped he was wrong. "But he'll be back once the suspension's over."

"What?! That's ridiculous, Mr. Schue, they can't allow that," Finn and Rachel broke out at once.

"I know, and I argued until I was hoarse," – in hindsight, his voice did sound a bit weak – "but they aren't budging." He paused and Kurt had a feeling that the worst was still to come. "I protested by threatening to quit and it didn't help." He paused and sighed and this time Kurt could hear tears in his voice. "So I tendered my two week notice."

"NO!" the group yelled as one, nearly blowing out each others' ear drums at the same time.

"Mr. Schue, as much as I appreciate the gesture, you quitting won't solve anything," Kurt interjected.

"Maybe not," Mr. Schue granted, walking further into the choir room. The light shone brightly on his face, making him wince, close his eyes, and then step back into the relative shadows. "But withdrawing my resignation won't help either. It shows the board that I'm unwilling to stick to my guns, and that's not going to help you either."

"But if you leave, who's going to stand in front of Kurt and get punched in his place?" Brittany asked, making it sound as though that had been Mr. Schue's original plan.

"Yeah, Mr. Schue, black and blue looks good on you," Puck added with a smirk.

Mr. Schue gave a self-conscious laugh, giving a grimace of pain when his bruised eye reminded him not to smile. The group gave a sympathizing wince at his expression of pain. Annoyingly, Kurt actually felt a pang of guilt for his teacher's pain; even though he hadn't directly caused it, he still felt bad that his teacher, his friend more or less, was hurt.

"Yeah, well, as attractive as it might make me, I think I'll try to stay away from fists in the future. And with Karofsky suspended, hopefully I'll be able to stick to that goal."

"Until he comes back," Mercedes interjected.

"Yeah, but by then Mr. Schue will be gone," Artie returned.

"That's true. Maybe Sam could step up, he's good at getting punched," Finn offered, obviously still a little stung by everyone's anger at him for not trying to beat Karofsky up.

"Shut up," Quinn defended, looking like she wanted to smack Finn upside the head.

"Guys," Mr. Schue jumped in before an actual fight broke out. "The point is that Kurt, you are safe from Karofsky for the next couple of weeks. I'm only sorry I couldn't make it longer."

"You did plenty, Mr. Schue," Kurt absolved with ease. "I'm just sorry that it had cost you your job to do it."

"Don't forget the black eye," Mercedes added with a slight wink at Kurt.

"I agree with Puck, I think it looks good on you," Brittany announced, giving Mr. Schue a sexy look and making everyone else in the room completely uncomfortable.

"Okay," Mr. Schue said, being the first to break the ice. He walked further into the room and came to stand in front of them all. Again, he winced at the brightness and this time he raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, only to withdraw with yet another wince.

"You should get some ice for that, Mr. Schue," Finn suggested, his face still in a wince.

"I'll be okay," Mr. Schue deflected, waving his hand in dismissal. He clapped his hands together and then placed his hands on the music stand and leaned into them. "Now, regionals." …

**oOo**

"Great job guys!" Will praised, smiling as widely as his bruised eye would allow. "That's perfect. I think we just found our number for regionals."

The group cheered, ratcheting his headache up several notches. He winced from the pain and quickly covered his ears as the cheering died down to a loud chatter. His discomfort must have been obvious because the kids went from chattering excitedly to practically whispering all the while shooting him guilty looks, none of whom looked guiltier than Kurt.

"Alright guys, I think that's it for tonight," he said, looking at the clock in time to see it turn six o'clock. "Kurt, can I talk to you for a sec?"

The rest of the group slowly filtered out, giving Kurt pats on the back and hugs before walking past Will, offering several stagnant "good night Mr. Schue," on their way out of the door. Kurt picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, looking so much like a scared little boy that Will wanted to give him a hug.

"Are you okay?" Will asked once everyone had left. He didn't know why he was practically whispering; for some reason it just seemed appropriate.

Kurt took in a big breath, looking as though he were trying to decide how to answer. Will hoped that Kurt would trust him enough to tell him the truth, whatever it may be, but he wasn't sure. It always felt as though Kurt was the student who'd liked him the least. Will didn't blame the kid; everyone was allowed to have their own opinions after all, but it did kind of bother him given how much he trusted and cared for the kids.

"No, I'm not," Kurt finally answered with nothing but resignation in his voice. "But, not having Karofsky here for the next couple of weeks will help."

Will grabbed his bag and started walking out with Kurt, making sure to keep an eye out for trouble. While Karofsky had been suspended, he had also been furious about being in trouble in the first place and promised payment for his punishment – something Will didn't want Kurt having to receive if he could help it.

"Thank you, for helping, by the way," Kurt said when Will didn't say anything. The sincerity in Kurt's voice mad his heart weep. Had Will really done nothing for this kid that it now warranted such a heartfelt thank you?

"You don't need to thank me, Kurt," Will dismissed, disappointed that he was apparently such a horrible role model towards this kid. He was more than disappointed. He was ashamed. "I'm sorry Kurt," he apologized, not knowing how else to convey what he was thinking.

Kurt stopped mid stride and faced Will and suddenly the Glee teacher felt the need to expand on his apology.

"I let you down, as a teacher," he explained. He sighed as he gathered up his thoughts and decided where to go from there. He pinched the bridge of his nose, gentling his touch on the right side of his face so as not to aggravate the angry bruise that surrounded his eye, and let out another sigh. "Like all the other teachers, I saw what was happening, and I was concerned. For a while, I did nothing, thinking it would all blow over." Now, he looked determinedly at Kurt, hoping that the sincerity in his heart reflected in his eyes, even in the night. "I'm sorry that it took you almost getting beaten for me to do something. I'm sorry that I allowed him to terrorize you and didn't take action then."

Kurt stare at him. His blue eyes were wide with what Will assumed was shock. Tears shimmered in them like little small pools and one eventually trailed down his cheek. Will couldn't take the look anymore. Without thinking or debating, he pulled the teenager to him and gave him a hug, squeezing a little as an offer of comfort.

"Well lookie here," a very unwelcome voice jeered from Will's back. "If it isn't the fag and his boyfriend."

Will felt his muscles tense at the sound of Karofsky's voice at the same time that Kurt seemed to freeze within the embrace. They pulled apart and Will put himself in front of his student, glaring at the former football player with anger and something close to hate in his eyes.

"I thought you were suspended from school grounds," Will said, vaguely hoping that the reminder would get the angry mammoth to back down. Not unsurprisingly, it didn't.

Karofsky sneered at him, his own eyes reflecting Will's hate. He punched his fist into his hand, the action a promise of what was to come.

Knowing what the end result would be, Will did the only thing he could think to do. Though his heart was pounding furiously at the idea of facing the student on his own, he knew that he couldn't let Kurt get hurt; not if he could do something to stop it.

"Kurt, run," he said, turning his head as much as he could while still keeping his eyes on Karofsky.

The teen stood frozen where he was. Fear blinded him. It kept him rooted to the spot and so Will gave him a shove as a head start.

"Run!" he repeated, louder this time to get the message through.

It seemed to work. Without sparing a breath to say a word, Kurt spun on his heel and ran to his car. Thankfully it wasn't too far and the teen made it there without incident. Will heard the automatic locks engage and he sighed in relief.

"That won't save him, you know," Karofsky smirked. "It's just holding back the inevitable until I come back."

He stepped forward, crowding into Will's personal space. To his annoyance, the Glee teacher had to look up in order to face the footballer but he didn't let that intimidate him one bit. His breath came out faster as adrenaline began to race through his veins, his body instinctually preparing for the "fight or flight", and his heart raced some more, making him wonder if Karofsky could hear it threaten to explode out of his chest.

Karofsky's eyes briefly flicked towards the SUV where Kurt sat, watching but safe. When he looked back down at Will, he smiled, the thing a cruel twist of his lips.

"Too bad you won't be here to protect him next time."

The urge to land a well-deserved punch was strong and Will found himself clenching his fist in preparation. He refrained, but barely. He kept reminding himself that this was a student, a teenager. He could go to jail for assault if he hit the kid, while the kid would only go to juvie at most.

Jail was almost preferable to the pain that seared through his left cheek. Karofsky's punch had seemingly come out of nowhere. In truth, Will _had _been expecting it, but he hadn't seen the kid swing; he'd only felt when it had landed.

Will was once again knocked to the ground by the hit. The gravel dug into his palms as he used his hands to stop his decent, but beneath the pain in his face, he barely felt it.

Before he could register what he was doing, Will was up again and swung at Karofsky. His fist landed, painfully, against the taller kid's jaw, briefly stunning the footballer. And from then on, the fight was on.

Karofsky landed more hits than Will did, but the Glee teacher was satisfied at just how well he'd managed to block most of them. They landed harmlessly – though not painlessly – on his arms as Will recalled some boxing that he'd learned growing up. A few punches ploughed into his right side but his left side took the brunt of them.

With a speed and swiftness that wasn't often attributed to the behemoth of a teen, Karofsky kicked near Will's left knee. It landed midway between his ankle and his knee, on the inner side of his calf but it still had the same effect. Will fell to the ground as his leg collapsed from under him. That was when the kicking started.

Refusing to allow any more hits to his torso, Will curled into a ball, praying that Kurt had called the police and that they would arrive sometime soon. A vicious kick landed on his lower back, far too close to his spine for Will's liking and he cried out, unable to stop himself. His body a mass of pain, Will just simply waited for the next blow. When it didn't come, he carefully unfolded, giving a rather unmanly whimper as he did so.

"Will?" he heard Shannon call just before he felt her strong hands gently touching his shoulder. "Hey, you alright?"

It was a stupid question. They both knew it. But it was the most succinct way of asking him if he would live or if he needed urgent care and so he didn't remark on it.

"Shannon," he said, his jaw barely moving as he kept his teeth ground together. He opened his eyes as far as he dared and found her blue eyes staring down at him with nothing but pure concern. "Where's Karofsky?"

She looked over his shoulder at a spot where he assumed the footballer was and then she looked back down at him. "He's being escorted to the station," she informed. "I came out in time to stop him from doing more damage and pinned him to the ground until the police showed up."

Gingerly, she helped him unfold completely, the task drawing another whimper as well as a tear from him, and then slowly eased him so that he was sitting upright.

"We should get you to a hospital," she said, looking him over with diagnostic eyes.

Will nodded. He knew he should have been more worried about Kurt than himself but he just couldn't find it in himself to be so. He was sure that, beyond being scared and shaken, Kurt was fine.

Will, however, was in pain, and a lot of it. His headache from earlier had grown into a dwarf star the size of the sun, threatening to blind him with the sheer intensity of it. His arms ached from blocking and he knew that he'd have some pretty spectacular bruises on his biceps by the morning. His right hand ached as well, though it was mostly muted beneath all the other hurts. Most of the pain emanated from his left side and his lower back.

Blue flashed alongside red and Shannon looked up, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Looks like they brought the barn to the animals," she said, making a farm reference that actually made some sense to Will.

He tried to turn to see what she had seen but he stopped as fire ignited through his torso and seared through his back. He was going to have to be careful how he moved for a week or two – that was becoming clear.

"Easy," Shannon soothed when she saw what he had tried to do and just how much pain it had caused. Her right hand went to his mid-back while her left stayed on his shoulder. It was a small comfort, a warmth that felt pleasant, and Will tried to smile at her in thanks or assurance. Almost absently, it appeared, she began to rub gentle circles between his shoulder blades as she kept her eyes on "the calvary" that had just arrived.

"Mr. Schuester?" a female's voice called to him and he turned his head to find a pretty brunette EMT kneeling in front of him.

"Yeah," he answered, his brows furrowing in confusion. "How did you know my name?"

She smiled warmly at him, her brown eyes heating along with it. "My colleague has seen to your young friend, Kurt, who told us who you were." She paused for a moment and then asked, "Do you think you can walk over to the ambulance or would you prefer a free ride in the stretcher?"

The way she phrased it made Will want to laugh. In fact, if it hadn't been for the pain that he knew would come, he would have laughed. He was told that it was an easy laugh that he generally gave when he was amused by a pretty face but he honestly couldn't tell the difference between that supposed laugh and his general one and so he'd brushed the declaration aside. He did settle for a small smile that turned into a grimace when it moved his painful cheek.

"I think I can handle the walk," he assured, not bothering to mention that he would probably need assistance remaining upright.

Shannon instantly offered her hand, standing up just before she did so, and patiently waiting for Will to take it. The EMT, apparently having noticed that he needed help getting up, also stood and offered her hand, her touch gentle as she moved closer to help him, essentially, limp to the ambulance.

Pain reignited in his body, making Will groan. His two crutches stood patiently to the side as they waited for him to be able to breathe again. They were careful as they slipped under his arms and wrapped their arms around his waist but even so, it made Will grimace.

"Is Kurt alright?" he asked to keep his mind off the discomfort in his body.

"Yeah, he's okay. A little shook up, I'm told, but he's not hurt," the EMT assured. "He's giving a statement to the police and then he'll be free to go home."

Her hand tightened slightly around his waist as his step faltered and Will couldn't stop the hitching of his breath or the whimper that came out on the exhale as her arm brushed against his sore back. Pulsing throbbed through his lower leg, reminding him of the hit he'd taken to his calf. He'd briefly forgotten about it since the pain had been dimmed, barely there at all amongst his other hurts. Now, however, he felt it and he heavily limped in order to favor the limb.

"Sorry," she apologized, her arm all but leaving his back and the hand lightening on his side. The position couldn't have been comfortable for her but she didn't seem to mind.

"It's fine," he absolved, surprised at the level of guilt he heard in her voice. It wasn't fine, really. This whole situation shouldn't have happened but it wasn't her fault in the slightest. She had no reason to feel guilty for accidentally causing him pain.

Between the two of them, the EMT and Shannon got Will up and seated in the ambulance. Once that was accomplished, the EMT went straight to work.

"Okay, I'm going to give you a small shot for the pain and then I'll get you set up for the ride to Lima General," she informed, almost casually, as she bustled around and pulled out a syringe. "Sound good?"

"Sounds great," Will answered, his head leaning back into the pillow and his eyes closing of their own accord.

She grabbed his hand, her touch lightening when he winced, and rotated his arm so that she could have access to a vein.

"I see you managed to get a good hit or two in," she observed, apparently having seen the bruising around his knuckles and the swelling in his hand.

"For all the good it did," Will answered, a little self-deprecatingly.

"Hey, Karofsky had about 100 pounds and several inches on you, Punkin," Shannon interjected. Her tone was sharp but her words were gentle. Will knew the anger he heard wasn't necessarily aimed at him and so he let it wash over him and focused on the nickname she used for him when she was feeling particularly sisterly.

Will felt a pinch in the crook of his arm and he winced in response. Even so, he couldn't be bothered to open his eyes and so he kept them closed, letting his ears do the watching for him.

"Honestly," the EMT said to his right, "I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did. I mean, I saw the kid as they were putting him into the squad car and, I know that many people would have been in far worse shape had it been them.

Will felt the pain dull to barely there and he assumed that the pain medication he'd been given was beginning to work. He sighed out of pure relief and melted into the uncomfortable stretcher bed.

"There, that's better, right?" the EMT prompted, bring him back from the black that wanted to consume him.

"Yeah," he answered, figuring that he should probably say something. He offered her a dopey smile, his eyes opening just enough to see her return it with a warm smile of her own.

"I figured it would be," she said, packing away the discarded supplies. She turned her head to look at Shannon, who had remained outside of the ambulance. "Did you want to ride along or did you want to stay here?"

"I should stay here and give the police my report," Shannon answered. Her voices sounded hesitant, almost. As though she didn't want to stay behind but felt obligated to.

"Okay," the EMT answered, sounding as though she couldn't care less either way. "Well, you can always meet him there when you're finished. I get the feeling that he'll be tied up behind the scenes for a while anyways. By the time you're done here, he should be settled into a room."

"Thanks," Shannon said. Will felt her hand land on his ankle, drawing his eyes open so that he could look at her. She squeezed when he focused on her and smiled. "I'll see you in a bit. Be good for the docs, you got it?"

"Somehow," Will answered sleepily. His eyes closed again and it seemed that it took an awfully long time for him to respond. "I don't think that's going to be a problem."

It felt as though he'd barely gotten those words out and then the darkness enveloped him completely, dragging him into sweet blackness.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

0Emma sat with Carl on the couch, eating a mix of green and red grapes that they'd bought and _not _cleaned. At first it had been so, so hard for her to put one in her mouth. But then Carl had grabbed one and slipped it between her lips and she found that she didn't mind them being unwashed. Her eyes closed as her taste buds explored the fruit. When she opened her eyes she found Carl watching her with want in his eyes. Emma indulged in that look. She actually wanted it to be Will in front of her but she – and he – had chosen a different path and now she must adjust to it.

"Want another?" Carl asked her, digging into the bowl for a red grape.

She nodded, her cheeks flushing a little in discomfort. She tried to cover it with a smile, hoping that he believed her to be enjoying the close attention from someone that wasn't Will Schuester. Either he ignored her true feelings or he believed her lie because he leaned in for a gentle kiss before popping another grape into her mouth.

It was while she was chewing on this second grape that her cell phone rang. Emma jumped, not having expected it to go off. She thought about ignoring it in case it was her parents but something had her hand immediately reaching out to grab it. She frowned when an unfamiliar number blinked on the caller ID but she answered anyways.

"Hello," she said, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Hey Emma, it's Shannon," the coach's voice answered.

Emma felt herself relax a little at the familiar and friendly voice. "Oh, hi Shannon," she responded, not entirely sure where to go from there since she didn't know why the coach was calling her.

"Look, I know you and Will are kind of on the outs, what with you bein married an all, but I thought you'd want to know that he's on his way to the hospital."

Emma felt her heart stop and fall into her stomach.

"What?" she asked, shocked to say the least. "What happened?"

To her left, Carl tapped on her shoulder, drawing her attention briefly to him in time to see him ask what was wrong. Then Shannon began explaining what had happened to Will and Carl faded into nonexistence. Never mind that she couldn't imagine _anyone _wanting to hurt Will – well, maybe Carl would be willing to, now that she thought about it 584– but she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that it had been a _student _to do it. The students of McKinley seemed to adore Will and she couldn't blame them, albeit for different reasons. Shannon went on to explain what had happened earlier in the day and Emma felt shock and anger begin to fight for dominance.

"How did I know hear about this?" she asked, more than a little hurt that no one had thought to inform her that a student had hit a teacher, hit Will, during the school day. Normally the Glee kids were good about letting her know something like that.

"Well, Punkin, you and Will have been trying to keep your distance from each other. We figured if Will wanted you to know, he would have told you."

It stung but it was true. Still, asking why Will hadn't told her was a question for Will, not Shannon and so she moved on.

"Well, how badly is he hurt?" she asked, almost dreading the answer and praying that it wasn't too severe. Karofsky, after all, was huge and could do a fair amount of damage, no matter how strong Will was.

"It didn't seem too bad," Shannon assured, sighing into the phone. "He was definitely hurting, but it didn't look to be anything that some rest and ice couldn't handle."

Well that was a relief!

"How long ago was he taken?" she asked, wanting nothing more than to go to him and be there for him. Carl wouldn't like it, she knew, but at this point, she didn't care. Will was her friend _long _before Carl was her husband and she wasn't about to abandon him.

"About fifteen, twenty minutes," Shannon answered. "I'm on my way to see him now."

"I'll meet you there," Emma assured, already getting up and getting her shoes and a jacket on. She hung up so that she could concentrate on what she was doing, her heart beating frantically.

"Emma, what's going on? What happened?" Carl asked, coming to stand in front of her and stopping her from grabbing her keys.

"It's Will," she said, trying to keep her panic in check. "He's in the hospital."

"What happened?" Carl asked. Concern wrinkled his brow, but whether it was sincere or faked, Emma couldn't tell.

"He was attacked by a student," Emma answered, still having trouble believing it. "Apparently there was an incident at the school earlier and the student came back."

Carl's expression was even, concern still evident, but otherwise neutral. He grabbed her keys and pulled on his own coat.

"Come on," he gently said, his hand landing on the small of her back. For once she didn't shy away from his touch. She actually let it soothe her and she felt somewhat comforted by it. "I'll drive."

They left with Carl's hand still around her back and Emma torn between her worry for Will and her confusion towards her feelings for Carl.

2oOo

Shannon Bieste walked in through the emergency room doors to Lima General. She'd finished at the school as quickly as she could and gotten here with little difficulty. For a moment she paused and looked around the waiting room, checking to see if she saw any familiar faces, startling in surprise when she noticed that the core members of the Glee Club were there.

"Coach!" Hudson called to her, standing up and drawing the rest of the Glee-ers with him.

"Hudson, what are you doing here?" she asked, unable to hide her shock.

"We're here for Mr. Schue," Hudson answered, shrugging and looking as though that should have been obvious.

"Kurt told us what had happened," Rachel added, stepping forward slightly so that she was even with Hudson. "We wanted to come and make sure Mr. Schuester was okay."

Shannon nodded to show that she understood. She thought about telling them that they didn't need to stay but knowing that it would be pointless, she saved her breath.

"We tried asking about him but the nurses say there's no information yet," Puckerman said, glowering at the reception desk.

"Let me see what I can find out," Shannon said, doubting that she would be able to get more out of the staff than the kids had.

She walked over to the desk and waited for the person in front of her to get helped.

"Can I help you?" the girl behind the desk asked.

"Yeah, I'm looking for a friend. He was brought in by ambulance," Shannon said, trying to see if she could find Will back there somewhere.

"What's the name?" the girl asked, clicking away on her computer.

"Schuester," Shannon answered. "Will Schuester."

"Schuester," the girl repeated as her eyes scanned the screen. "Okay," he's currently being settled into the main building. You'll want to go to there. He'll be in room 308."

"Thanks," Shannon said, turning away and heading back to the kids. "He's being put into a room," she succinctly said. "Come on."

It sounded like a small stampede as they got up and followed her out of the emergency section and went up to the main building. The receptionist there was a little friendlier than the one in the ER and she gladly directed them on how to get to Will's room. She advised them that they'd have to go in a few at a time, but that they could all visit with him for a little while. Shannon and the kids thanked her and then made their way to Will's room.

When they arrived, Shannon held her breath. She turned around and addressed the kids.

"Let me go in first," she said, holding her hands out in a placating gesture when they opened their mouths to protest. "Just let me make sure he's up for visitors first. Then, if he is, you kids can go in and say hi."

When none of the kids appeared to want to argue with that, she turned back around and walked in.

Will lay, semi-reclined, in the hospital bed, an IV attached to his left arm. His eyes were closed but neither his breathing nor his heart rate, which she could read via the monitor they had attached to his finger, indicated that he was asleep. His torso was bare, showing a bandage wrapped around his chest. It did little to hide the bruising that marred his left side, however, and Shannon found herself wincing at the sight. His right hand was wrapped in another bandage which ended just below his wrist.

His lower half was covered with scrub bottoms but his right leg was elevated on a pillow. A blanket covered his legs but Shannon could see through the thin fabric that there was a bandage wrapped around his calf and knee.

Will opened his eyes almost immediately after she'd entered and she put on a smile, hoping that it hid the pain she felt at seeing him hurt.

"Shannon," he said, a smile crossing his face. He still seemed a bit sleepy but otherwise it was hard to hear, through his voice at least, that he was hurt at all. "Hey."

"Hey Will," Shannon greeted, coming to stand in front of his bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Will answered. His left arm flitted towards the IV pole where Shannon could see a bag of saline hanging. "They gave me a shot which helped."

Shannon nodded. "What's the verdict?" she asked, figuring that Will would know what she meant.

"I'll be fine," he answered, seeming to not care that he was currently in the hospital. "They're keeping me for overnight observation but otherwise it's just some bruises."

Shannon thought it looked worse than that, but she held her tongue. She'd ask one of the nurses or doctors once she left. For now, she let the matter drop. She knew that she should mention the Glee kids outside his room but she wasn't sure he was up to more company. Still, she told them she'd ask him and she wasn't one to go back on what she said she'd do.

"So, you've got some anxious visitors sittin outside."

"I do?" he asked, his brows furrowing in confusion.

"Yeah, Punkin, you do. Should I let them in?" She paused and added, "I think there might be some cow tippin if they don't get in here soon."

"Yeah, sure, let them in," Will said, doing his best to straighten his bed so that he was more upright.

Shannon waited until he'd finished and then waited some more until the pain cleared from his face before she went to the door and addressed the kids.

"Come on in," she said.

oOo

Emma and Carl arrived at the hospital, fifteen minutes after they'd left. To Emma it felt as though it had taken forever to get there and she briefly suspected her husband of taking his time. But then she realized that she was just really anxious to see Will and make sure that he was alright. Carl had driven as fast as he legally could.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" he asked, turning the car off.

Emma nodded, not trusting the steadiness of her voice. As much as she wanted to see Will alone, she wasn't sure she'd be able to be in the hospital without having miniature panic attacks and she knew that Carl would help her with that.

They got out of the car and then went into the ER. After checking at the desk and finding out that Will had been moved to a room for overnight observation, they went to the main building and then made their way up to his room. The floor was quiet for the most part, making it easy for them to hear the multiple voices that came from room 308. The Glee kids must have turned up once they'd heard about what had happened. Emma paused for a moment, unsure if she wanted to squeeze in with all the kids inside. Just as she was about to enter, the door opened and the kids began to file out.

"Hey Ms. P," many of them greeted as they left, offering her smiles as they passed.

From within the room, Will chuckled and Emma found a bit of courage through it. She turned to Carl and asked, "Would you mind if I went in alone?"

His eyes flicked towards the inside of the room, an emotion in them that she couldn't decipher at the moment. He smiled and pulled her in for a hug. "Sure," he answered after he released her. "I'll be waiting down the hall."

"Thank you," she said, giving him a small of appreciation. "I shouldn't be long," she added, hoping that it soothed the agitation she could feel coming from her husband. As much as she wanted to stay all night, she knew that visiting hours were almost over and that Will could probably use the rest.

Taking a deep breath, Emma entered Will's hospital room, stopping when she saw him in the bed. Her eyes took in all the bruises and bandages and her eyes welled up with tears. She cleared her throat to announce her arrival, using the gesture to rid her eyes of tears.

"Emma," Will breathed, his face showing his surprise at seeing her. "What are you doing here?"

The fact that he hadn't thought she would come when he was hurt stung. How could he think that? He knew how she felt about him, after all. But then, with all that had happened between them lately and each of them trying to keep their friendship strictly to at work, she rationalized that it made sense. To a degree.

"Shannon called to tell me you were in the hospital," Emma answered, looking between Will and Shannon, who sat in a chair on Will's right. Why hadn't the coach told him that she was coming? "I wanted to make sure that you were alright."

The surprise that had crossed his face melted, a new emotion taking over. The best way Emma could think to describe it was careful neutrality but she thought there was so much more behind it. His beautiful eyes, which normally held such warmth and love for her, were hard and pained.

"I'm fine, thanks," he said, though not unkindly. He didn't elaborate on his condition, however, and so Emma began to feel that he'd meant it as a gentle dismissal.

Emma nodded as she processed it all. Her heart broke a little and sank but she smiled in spite of it all.

"I see," she said, uncomfortable by how tense the air was between them. "Well, I'll let you get your rest then." She wanted oh so much to go over to him and give him a kiss on the forehead but she didn't think that that would be a welcome gesture. With shaking hands and tears threatening to fall, she gave another, more heartbroken smile. "Feel better, Will."

She'd just reached the door when he called out to her.

"Wait." His voice was strong but when she turned around she saw him grimace in pain.

"Will?" she asked, concerned. She _hated _seeing him in pain and she wished that she could help make it go away.

He held up a hand to stop her from getting too close and tried to smile in reassurance. "I'm okay," he said, his voice rough and his face telling her the exact opposite. "Just a little bit sore."

Beside him, Shannon scoffed but said nothing. After another minute's silence, she stood up. "Well, I'd better go." She leaned down and gave Will a pat on the shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?" Emma asked before she could stop herself. It wasn't that she was jealous. She really wasn't. She knew the friendship that Shannon and Will had and she knew that there was not ever going to be anything romantic in it. She was more curious.

"I'm being released tomorrow," Will answered. His energy seemed to be leaking from him. She wasn't sure if it was the pain finally creeping up on him or the action of trying to stop her from moving that had simply leached away what little energy he'd had, but either way, he looked exhausted now.

"I'm going to take him home and watch after him for the next few days," Shannon added.

Okay, so now Emma _was _a little bit jealous. Had she not been with Carl, _she _was the one who could be watching over Will. But Carl barely tolerated Will anymore and so she knew that that wasn't an option.

"That's really not necessary, Shannon," Will said, sounding tired but also uncomfortable. Emma had the suspicion that he thought himself a burden in his current state and he hated being a burden on anyone, especially his friends.

"Yeah, it is," Shannon argued. "Someone's gotta make sure you don't hurt yourself any worse and I doubt you want me to call your ex."

Will physically shivered at the thought of Terri taking care of him and Emma felt sympathy for him. She knew that Terri hadn't been physically abusive but she considered the woman to have been emotionally abusive to him during their marriage and for that she wanted to smack the former wife. Will never deserved that kind of treatment, from anyone. Faking being pregnant and breaking Will's heart had been the last straw for both of them – though only Will was in the position to do anything about it. Emma still believed that if she ran into Terri in the future, she'd slap her at the wrong word. It was the least she could do.

"I think I'd rather do things on my own than have Terri take care of me," Will said.

At first the answer didn't make much sense. But then Emma thought to how much pain he'd been in from moving just a little bit and she flinched at how much more he'd be in if he tried to move around his apartment on his own. She'd take care of him, marriage or not, before she ever let that happen.

"Well, let me know if you need anything," she said, smiling to show that she meant what she said.

"Thanks, I will," Will answered, though Emma doubted he would.

"Well, I'd better go. Carl's waiting for me and I don't think he likes hospitals any more than I do."

It wasn't necessarily true, of course, but it sounded much better to say than her husband despised Will and wanted to leave.

At the mention of Carl's name, Will seemed to harden. Everything from his expression, to his eyes, to his muscles seemed not to move and Emma thought that if she tried hard enough, she could feel the chill in the air that emanated from him. She understood that he didn't want to hear about Carl, but if they were going to have any sort of friendship, he was going to have to deal with it.

"I'll see you Monday," Will said, his tone inflectionless.

"Will you be back that early?" Emma asked, concerned.

"I should be well enough to return then, yes," Will assured, though Shannon didn't look so sure behind him.

"Right," Emma said, keeping her reservations to herself. "Well, I'll see you Monday, then."

"Thanks for coming, Emma," Will said, his voice softening and catching on her name.

Emma turned around – she'd begun to leave – and gave him a small smile. "Feel better, Will."

With that she left, hoping that Will couldn't hear her heart breaking a little on the way out.

**TBC**


End file.
